The heart circulates blood throughout the body by pumping it. Once you hear this, it’s simple to understand why maintaining good circulation is important. The same is true for your hands and fingers. You may find it difficult to carry out daily tasks if your hands don’t have adequate blood flow.
Considering that inadequate circulation can make varicose veins visible, did you know that varicose veins are one of the symptoms of poor circulation? Numbness, tingling, pain, and color whitening are a few other issues brought on by poor blood circulation.
Scroll down to read this article for detailed instructions on how to increase blood circulation in your hands.
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Why Do You Have Poor Blood Circulation in Your Hands?
Circulatory system issues are frequent. Children and teenagers are among the more than 64 million Americans who suffer from heart and circulatory system disorders. There are many possible causes of poor circulation in the hands, including:
Smoking
Smoking can increase the risk of peripheral arterial disease, a condition stemming from a narrowing of the arteries caused by a buildup of plaque. Amputations may result as a result.
Because smoking makes the blood stickier and more prone to clotting, it can also raise a person’s risk of blood clots. These risks will be lower if you stop smoking. A person may experience withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking.
A person can choose from a number of strategies for quitting smoking, including different methods, using prescription medicines from a doctor, and trying nicotine replacement patches, gums, or lozenges.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a buildup of fatty substances in the arteries that restricts blood flow around the body.
Combining medication with lifestyle modifications is one method of treating atherosclerosis. Doctors may recommend reaching or maintaining a moderate weight or exercising regularly. They may also prescribe statins to lower cholesterol.
Raynaud’s Disease
Raynaud’s disease is a rare condition that causes episodes of narrowed blood vessels.
The frequency and duration of episodes of narrowed blood vessels can vary. In order to reduce the symptoms of Raynaud’s disease, doctors may advise taking stress management classes and avoiding colds. A doctor might suggest medication or surgery if your symptoms are severe.
Symptoms of Poor Blood Circulation in the Hands
Signs and symptoms of poor circulation in the hands include:
- Color: The fingernails look pale or blue-tinted.
- Swelling: The hands could hurt and swell.
- Temperature: Touching the hands and fingers produces a cold sensation.
- Blood refilling: Blood vessels may take longer to fill with blood. For instance, it might take longer than 3 seconds for a finger to refill with blood after being squeezed.
- Numbness or tingling: There may be tingling or numbness in the fingers.
- Pain: Extreme hand and finger pain could be a sign of poor blood circulation.
- Mobility: It might be challenging for someone to move their fingers.
How to Get Better Circulation in Hands?
So, while it’s safe to assume that exercise is beneficial for circulation issues in places like your legs, it may seem strange to do exercises with your hands.
But rest assured, this is the best method for increasing circulation in your hands and fingers. Your blood vessels in that area will expand as you exercise your hands and fingers more, allowing oxygen-rich blood to flow through. What does it look like to exercise your hands and fingers? Here are a few hand exercises you can try the next time you want to stimulate blood flow.
Thumb Cross
Despite frequently going unnoticed, our thumbs play a significant role in hand dexterity. One exercise that is great for your thumbs involves a few steps:
- Hold your hand in front of you with your fingers together and your thumb to the side
- Reach your thumb across your palm to the other side
- Hold for a few seconds and repeat
Hand Shake
This is not the handshake you give someone when you first meet them; we’re referring to another kind of handshake. This exercise is easy to do but effective.
- Hold your hands out in front of you
- Shake for a few seconds
- Repeat
Fist Clench
You need to make your hand into a fist for another simple but effective hand exercise.
- Make your hands into fists
- Keep them clenched for a few seconds
- Repeat
Holding something, like a stress ball, in your hand while clenching your fist will intensify the effect.
Fist Push
This exercise is great for strengthening as well as hand circulation.
- Make one hand into a fist
- Push it into the palm of the other hand
- Hold for about 10 seconds
- Switch hands and repeat
Hand Massage
Use your thumb as the main massage tool for your hand muscles. Few things are more relaxing than a soothing massage. A massage not only relieves stress but also improves circulation.
As a massage therapist presses and pulls at your body, they’re sending blood through the congested areas of your body, which improves circulation. Your body’s circulation is boosted when they relieve the pressure on it because fresh blood rushes to the area.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to increase circulation in your hands and fingers. These exercises are quick, simple, and effective. To keep the blood flowing through your hands and fingers, it is something you should do each day.
Conclusion
While useful, these hand exercises do not take the place of consulting a specialist about your hand circulation problems. We advise seeing your doctor if you’re having trouble with poor circulation in your hands, legs, or feet. It’s best to seek advice from a reliable expert because poor circulation may be an indication of a larger issue.
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